Out of the Dark That Fills My Mind
by New Warrior of Fire
Summary: Boukenger. A songfic reflecting Masumi's feelings, fears and reservations regarding his love for Natsuki, and the Darkness within him. Pairing, MasumiNatsuki


**Adapted from the song "Collide" by Howie Day. Warning: Contains major spoilers for Task 46.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The evening peace in the Boukenger Base was suddenly shattered by the cry of the siren that went off when a Precious was located. Mr.Voice appeared on the screen and urgently cried, "Everyone! There are three Preciouses detected!"

"All right," Akashi said. "We'll split up. Souta, Sakura, you handle Precious number one. Masumi, Natsuki, you take the second. Eiji and I will handle the third. Attack!" And with his trademark finger snap it was Mission Start Up.

Masumi and Natsuki's Precious was the farthest, and before they could even reach the Precious's location, night had fallen. It had become too dark to see where they were going.

"All right, Natsuki. We're stopping for the night," Masumi said.

"Already?" she asked. "But what about the Precious? Can't we use the headlights?"

Masumi shook his head. "If we have light of any kind, it will be that much easier for Negative Syndicate to find us, and use our relative location to track the Precious."

"Oh," Natsuki said. "All right, let's make camp then."

The two young adventurers set up their camp and slept under the stars that night.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning came, and its first rays of light awakened Masumi. It took him a minute to become aware of his surroundings; to remember about the Precious and the Mission. He turned to Natsuki, about to wake her, but he was overcome by the delicate beauty of her sleeping face. The way the sunlight shone upon her; the way it glowed upon the beauty of her silken hair, not yet bound by her everyday pigtails. It awakened in him a feeling he had thought dormant; a feeling of love, of light, of hope that there was enough light in him to beat the darkness.

_The dawn is breaking_

_A light shining through_

_You're barely waking _

_And I'm tangled up in you_

Natsuki awoke suddenly, and was surprised to see Masumi intently gazing upon her. "Masumi?" she asked. "What is it?"

Masumi quickly turned away. "It's nothing," he said. "We should get going. The Precious awaits." He got up and started packing their camp.

Natsuki looked at him, saddened by what she saw. He was hiding something, she knew. What was he keeping a secret that made him distance himself from her like this? She knew he was somebody who was slow to trust, epically his other teammates, but it hurt her feelings that he didn't think he could trust her. It made her wonder if he would ever be able to tell her what it was.

_I'm open, you're closed_

_Where I'll follow you'll go_

_I worry I won't see your face_

_Light up again_

Masumi looked to Natsuki again. He wished he could tell her how he felt, but he couldn't commit himself to Natsuki when there was still so much uncertainty about his own darkness. He didn't want anything to happen to her, and if he lost control of his darkness, he was afraid of what he might do to her. It was better to be lonely all his life then to even risk hurting Natsuki.

_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_

_Out of the dark that fills my mind_

_I somehow find_

_You and I Collide_.

Later that day, Masumi, Natsuki, and the other Boukengers had retrieved their respected Preciouses and brought them back to headquarters. While the Preciouses were being scanned and contained, they all had some time off. The Boukengers were relaxing in the base, while Masumi just watched from a chair nearby. He was, once again, gazing longingly at Natsuki. It made him think of the day he found her, and the life they'd had before they were Boukengers. He was still amazed that this one person had changed him so much, even from that day.

_I'm quiet, you know_

_You make a first impression_

Natsuki looked right at Masumi and saw him looking at her like that again. Masumi quickly looked away and pretended that nothing had happened. Natsuki continued to look at Masumi. Although he tried to hide it, his suffering was written on his every feature. She wondered what had happened that things were now so different between them.

_I find I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind._

_Even the best fall down sometimes _

_Even the stars refuse to shine_

_Out of the back you fall in time_

_I somehow find_

_You and I collide._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Several weeks passed, and on one fateful day, Masumi found himself holding the Three-headed Dragon of Darkness, while Yami no Yaiba focused his power into it. Finally Yaiba finished, and when he did, he said, "Look! That's the Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness's body." Masumi stopped, startled, and looked up. There was a massive mound of darkness headed for the earth. Yaiba continued. "Thanks to you, we've succeeded in summoning the ultimate power of darkness. It will stain this world in darkness! And we will stand on top of that darkness." He finished by setting his hand on Masumi's shoulder.

"Wait! I didn't want that!" Masumi cried.

"It's too late!" Yaiba told him. "There's no one left to stop it." Masumi's eyes widened in horror, then he turned and looked back at his comrades, the Boukengers, who had fallen trying to destroy the darkness barrier.

"Everyone!" he cried in panic.

"Why are you so surprised?" Yaiba asked him. "This is the result of your desire for darkness."

"It's a lie . . . the darkness in me . . . did this?" Masumi gasped out. He looked at the Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness in his hand, and slowly released it. But Yaiba would have none of that. He grabbed Masumi's hand and forced him to grip the Precious.

"Give it up!" he told Masumi. "Now you can only live in darkness!"

Masumi and Yaiba struggled over the Precious. "Stop it! Let go!" Masumi shouted. In the midst of his struggle, he looked to his fallen comrades, one by one. "Eiji! Souta! Sakura-neesan! Akashi!" He finally looked to Natsuki, and the horrified realization dawned upon him. "Natsuki!" Masumi was ashamed of himself. The result of his lust for power; the power to defeat Akashi, made him feel sick. He'd finally done what he dreaded most; he'd let his darkness take over him, and he'd hurt Natsuki with it.

Masumi looked inside himself, and he asked, "What have I been doing? Darkness in my heart?" He once again thought back to Natsuki. "When there's all this light in me? The light given to me by Natsuki . . ."

And Masumi had made his final decision. He returned to his struggle with Yaiba, fought the Precious away from him, then held it up to his eye and finally dropped it and let it fall to the ground. "I won't let the light in me be put out!" And with that, Masumi focused the light within himself, and delivered to Yaiba a devastating blow that sent him flying. As soon as Yaiba hit the ground, the Darkness barrier was shattered, and Masumi ran to his friends.

"Everyone!" he cried. "Wake up! Are you okay?"

The Boukengers slowly awakened and saw Masumi. "Everyone," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Masumi! You're back!" Natsuki said excitedly.

"So you've recovered your light?" Akashi asked him.

Masumi nodded, and Natsuki saw him smile like he hadn't for so long. She felt hope; now that Masumi had overcome his darkness, there was nothing holding him back. They could be together for the rest of their lives, just like she'd always dreamed . . .

Her thoughts were interrupted by Yami no Yaiba. He got up from a short ways away and said, "Damn you . . . Unforgivable!"

"Yaiba!" Masumi cried.

Yami no Yaiba drew his sword, poised to attack.

"Everyone, take care of that lump of darkness," Masumi said. "I will defeat Yaiba."

Masumi ran toward Yaiba, grabbed his acellular and cried "Ready! Boukenger, start up!" He ran his acellular on Yaiba's blade and transformed. And so his fight with Yami no Yaiba began.

"We should go as well!" Akashi said to the others. They formed Kinkyuu Gou Gou Gattai, and the battle had begun.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After they'd destroyed the darkness rock, the five Boukengers ran toward where Masumi was. Natsuki couldn't wait to see him again, after he'd defeated the darkness in him and Yami no Yaiba with it.

_As soon as I reach Masumi_, she thought. _Our life together will begin again. We can finally have what we always dreamed of . . ._

But when they reached their destination, Masumi wasn't there. The Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness was staked into the ground, and next to it was Masumi's black S.G.S. jacket, with his accellular still in the pocket.

Natsuki picked up Masumi's jacket in disbelief. "Masumi?" she said quietly.

"He went, and left these things," Akashi said.

Natsuki felt her emotions whirl; she was overcome with disappointment, grief . . . she couldn't believe Masumi had left Boukenger, that he'd left her . . .

Suddenly, Natsuki had one of her flash-visions, and in it, she saw Masumi, dressed in regular clothes, wandering the streets of Tokyo. Then her vision went into fast-forward, and she saw Masumi's travel condensed into seconds. He stopped at the beach, about six kilometers away from where they were now. Then Natsuki's vision ended.

"Natsuki? What is it?" Akashi asked.

Natsuki didn't answer him. Now that she knew where to find Masumi, she gathered all of the strength she had left. Masumi had gotten a good head start, so she had a long run ahead of her. She grabbed Masumi's accellular and took off.

"Natsuki!" Akashi called.

"Wait! There's nothing we can do now!" Souta cried.

She continued, and the voices of her comrades grew fainter and fainter as she ran.

_Don't stop here._

Natsuki ran harder then she'd ever run before; she was deeply purposed. Even though her entire body hurt, she forced herself to keep going. She wouldn't stop running toward the life she'd dreamed of.

Finally, after about thirty minutes of running, she reached the place where she'd seen Masumi in her vision. Natsuki frantically looked around. This wasn't right. _Where is Masumi?_ She thought. I_ don't see him anywhere!_

_I've lost my place_

Suddenly, she heard a voice she could never fail to recognize.

"Natsuki?"

She turned to its source, and, of course, there was Masumi. Natsuki smiled, then ran to him as fast as she could.

_I'm close behind._

"Masumi!" she called. She stopped when she reached him.

"Natsuki," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Masumi," she said. "Natsuki wants you to come back."

Masumi sighed and looked at the ground. "I can't go back to Boukenger. Not after what I did."

"What you did?" she asked. "You defeated Yaiba with the power of the light in you. Today you proved you could overcome your darkness. You have to come back because Natsuki-tachi needs you." Natsuki took his hand and put his accellular into it. "There's a treasure in everyone, Masumi. This is your treasure, the symbol of adventure. You are a Boukenger; it's where you belong."

Masumi stared at his acellular for a moment, then handed it back to her. "This isn't my treasure. I have no reason to go back."

Natsuki looked at him, bewildered and dismayed. "Then what is your treasure?"

"What?" he asked.

She continued. "Whatever your treasure is, Natsuki will help you find it. Natsuki wants you to be happy, Masumi. She can't stand knowing that you're alone out here."

He shook his head. "There's no treasure to be had for me."

"How can you say that?" she cried. Her eyes filled with tears. "Natsuki doesn't want this to happen to you, Masumi. How can you live alone in this empty existence?!"

Masumi cringed. It pained him to see Natsuki crying. "I used to have a treasure," he relented. "A long time ago, I was alone. Then I found a great treasure, one that changed my life. And it was my dream to keep that treasure forever. But I couldn't, because of my own darkness. I was afraid that it would take over, and when it did, it would destroy the one thing that I love."

"What happened to it?" Natsuki asked.

Masumi looked away. "One day my darkness did get the best of me, and I hurt the only thing I ever cared about. So I left my treasure behind, so that I would never risk hurting it again."

Natsuki's eyes widened. "What was the treasure?"

"My treasure," he said, turning back to her. "The only treasure I ever wanted . . . is you."

"Masumi . . ." she said.

He continued. "That's why I can't go back," he said, his eyes filling with tears. Masumi turned away. He didn't want Natsuki to see him crying. "It would be better for me to be alone forever and know that you're all right, then to be with you and then see you destroyed by my own hand!"

His voice broke off into painful, heartbroken sobs.

Natsuki was speechless; all the time she'd known Masumi, she'd never seen him cry. It was the most horrible thing she had ever witnessed; the intense pain of the one person who would do anything for her. Through the haze of her own tears, she saw more clearly than ever before, and she knew what she had to do. She walked around Masumi to face him, then she put her arms around his neck and gently embraced him.

Masumi's sobs ceased; he was stunned into silence by her loving, gentle touch.

"Masumi," she said. "We both came into this world alone. There was a time when neither of us had anyone, until the day that we found each other. Don't you see, Masumi? It was meant to be this way; we were supposed to be together. The only thing you could ever do to hurt Natsuki is if you left her alone again."

Masumi pulled back a little and looked into Natsuki's sparkling eyes. "Natsuki . . ." he whispered breathlessly. Not even another word touched the young speed adventurer's lips.

Natsuki continued. "Natsuki wants you to be with her the rest of her life, Masumi. With you and her together, the darkness won't stand a chance."

Masumi stared into the angelic face of his love, taken away by the beauty of her words. He leaned in closer, and their lips came together in a kiss filled with all the love the two had in each other.

After minutes in their tender embrace, Masumi pulled back just enough to gaze lovingly upon Natsuki's delicate face. He stroked her cheek, and an adoring smile touched his lips.

"Come on. Let's go home," he said. He offered Natsuki his hand.

Natsuki smiled upon the beauty of her realized dream. She took Masumi's hand in her own, and laced her fingers with his. The two adventurers walked back toward S.G.S headquarters, in the light of the setting sun.

_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_

_Out of the dark that fills your mind_

_You finally find_

_You and I _

_Collide_.


End file.
